Imperfect grammar or grammar imperfect?

Question

I found these examples from an academic paper titled 'Usage of Imperfect and Imperfect Progressive Verb Forms in Spanish as a Majority and Minority Language: Is There an Effect for Language Contact? by Scott Lamanna Indiana University which was posted as a link by a fellow Spanishdict member last year (sorry forgotten your name!) as a response to a question by another member (sorry forgotten your name as well!). The paper is interesting but complex and detailed. I understand the use of preterite (1) and imperfect (2) and use all (1,2,3,4) of these tenses in conversation but can honestly say there are times when I am not sure whether the use of the imperfect(2), preterite progressive (3) and imperfect progressive (4) is more appropriate. Can someone shed some light on this for me without requiring a post-doc in pyscho-socio-linguistics? Gracias, H

(1) perfective, non-progressive (preterite) Jorge cantó una canción tradicional. ‘Jorge sang a traditional song.’

(2) imperfective, non-progressive (imperfect) Jorge cantaba una canción tradicional. ‘Jorge was singing/used to sing/would sing a traditional song.’

(3) perfective, progressive (preterite progressive) Jorge estuvo cantando una canción tradicional. ‘Jorge was singing (perf.) a traditional song.’

(4) imperfective, progressive (imperfect progressive) Jorge estaba cantando una canción tradicional. ‘Jorge was singing (imperf.) a traditional song.’

Answer 1

I hope that helps. Here's a really simple version....

• Simple Past (preterit)

I woke up at eight (Me desperté a las ocho)

What did you do yesterday? (¿Qué hiciste ayer?)

• Imperfect Past

I was at the store when my Mom called (Estaba en la tienda cuando mi Mamá me llamó)

I used to swim every day (Nadaba todo los días)

• Simple Past Progressive

I was singing in the classroom for two hours (Estuve cantando en la clase dos horas)

• Imperfect Past Progressive

• I was singing in the class when the rain came (Estaba cantando en la class cuando vino la lluvia)

Dear Mariana, thanks so much for your 'user-friendly' responses! Very helpful. You probably learn to use some of these instinctively but of course its interesting to know what the grammatical logic is behind these types of expressions. Thanks again, h. - hinall01, Oct 26, 2012

Answer 2

• (1) perfective, non-progressive (preterite)

When the action took place in the past for a determined amount of time or just once. E.g., I was born, he sang a song, I ate my pizza.

• (2) imperfective, non-progressive (imperfect)

When the action was on going for an undermined period of time, it was a habitual thing, or a narrative that is interrupted by another event. E.g., He was singing a song for us, I was talking a shower when you called me, I used to eat pizza every day.

• (3) perfective, progressive (preterite progressive)

Again, the preterit here but adding the progressive as a past event. E.g., I was singing a song all day long, He was walking for two hours.

• (4) imperfective, progressive (imperfect progressive)

Again, the imperfect tense but adding the progressive as it was happening / progressing in the past. E.g., I was walking along when I saw a dog, My Mom was washing the dishes when I came into the room.

More useful examples, thanks, Mariana. However, when you read the examples for imperfect non-progressive and progressive, they are not easy to distinguish...in English anyway! - hinall01, Oct 26, 2012